Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-07
A REsUM E.
"A Lock Back Over Affairs for Five Years.

"A Look Back Over AfIhirs for Five Years.
/, During tho five years it has been my privll-
rge to occupy the executive Office Minnesota
has experienced Development unprecedented
In her history, ind hardly cqua)ed by that OF
any other community OF the country for a
like period OF time. Her growth in popula
,tion has been nearly 60 per cent, and her as.
scssed real and personal estate has increased
from $27l, l55,9Ul, In 1881. to $45S, 434. 777 In
1885. The Industries and business nterests
OF her people have kept pace in their devcl.
opment with this growth in population and
WeSlth, and tho foundations have been
Nb,oadened and streDg' hened for that greatness
Of empire VIII CHI Is abundant promisc OF our
future destiny. A brief reference 10 the
measures and policy that have specially char
acterized the administration OF her public in.
forests during this period may not DO regard
cd ont OF place IN This connection.
. 50 rapid growth has necessarily involved
largely Increased expenditures in the main
tenaDce OF the several dc apartments OF the
state government and In the enlargement and
support of her state institutions. Extraordi.
nary expenditures also have been occasioned
by the necessity Of replacing publ structures
destroyed by fire, n0tubly the state capitol,
the state prison aud the first hospital for the
Insane Insane expenditures for permanent public
improvements the past hvc years have exceed
ed 10 the aggregate $l,50O.00O. The
interest also upon the railroad ad-
justment bonds which represent our present
state debt first became a burden upon the treas-
! ury In 1889. Bot Notwithstanding hese large.
lyincreased demands upon the state treasury,
they have been promptly met and the public
debt considerably reduced without adding TO
the burdens Of the people IN the way Of taxa-
t1on; In fact there has been paid AZ taxes to
the state less than WAS paid during either Of the
;wo periods of five years Immediately preced-
ing. The average for the five years ending
with 1876 was S47s, $50 81 per snnum; for the
five years ending with 1881, sara, s7s.bS, and
for the five years ending with 1886, S448, 6l7 %.
This In view of the enormously
increased assessed valution of the state would
further show largely diminished rate Of
taxation. The average rate for the fret period
named WAS .28-lOO mills per annum and for
the last 1.46.1O0 mills. This showing has
been made possible mainly by the largely sug.
'mented revenues of the state from other
eources. especially receipts from railroad and
been Increased from S6,27s,9 in 1881 to
$9.COl, 6S7.l4 in 1885. These additions are
the proceeds of the sale of land and pine
stumpsee belong ng to the several funds ex-
cept tl42, 606. II which has been realized as
profit on the sale and exchange of securities
aeld BY the'e funds. Recent investment Of
these funds have been in the bonds Of the
state OF Tennessee which have largely in
creased in value since their purchase. and
IL sold at the price at which the last purcha.e
was made further profit Of S194,sl0 would be
realized.
Az an agency in the line OF public reform
and retrenchment In public expenses the
state board OF corrections and charities was
organized in 1882. Its efficiency in this
service has been shown in the improved
methods adopted through its fundamentally
. IN many of the counties of the state, in the
administrations OF their local Institutions and
. the decrease in cost of maintaining their
charitable and penal dependents. The board
have also instituted q uniform system Of
accounting under which all expenditures at
our state institutions are sprcad before the
public in an Ineligible form.
The change from annual to biennial elections
was made in 1883. As measure in the inter-
est of public economy and reform this change
must be regarded a. most salutsry one.
The present complete sanitary organization
Of the state, and It's effective measures for the
protection OF the public health, together with
It's ample provision for the management and
control Of diseases among animals. are mainly
the results Of the legislation of 1885. supple
mented by the vigorous and efficient action of
the state board Of health. No state is now
better equipped than our own to deal with
emergencies growing out Of epidemics or in
'fectious Diseases
As great public charity and an agency Of
moral reform the state school for dependent
and neglected children, recently opened ut
Owatonna, will command place alongside the
most worthy institutions of the state. Its
work IN recaiming from the communicating in
1uences Of ignorance and vice these innocent
dependents. will be felt IN future years in.
saving to tho citizenship of our state thou
sands who might otherwise contribute to
swell the population Of her penal institutions.
In 1881, the state militia was represented by
few independent companies, scattered, neg
lected, and poorly organized and equipped.
From that nucleus has been developed our
present effective organization of national
guards as compact, well disciplined and re-
liza bic body OF citizen soldiers, in proportion
to numbers, as any state OF the Union can
show
The immunity from taxation Of tho lands
hello by railroad corporations has for years
worked hardship and gross injustice to settlers
in spsrsely populated sections Of the state, and
constituted grievance Of great magnitude.
Relief in great measure has been afforded IN
this regard by the result Of the recent! prose-
cutions instituted by tho attorney general
against five OF the corporations, which places
tho lands held by four Of them upon the tax
listn
The law OF 1886 prohibiting the manufacture
and sale Of adulterated dairy products has had
the effect to stimulate In a marked degree an
Important industry Of tho state which had
begun to languirh by reason Of the importation
OF fraudulent limitations and substitutes, with
which the honest products of the dairy welc
brought into competition.
Probably the most important measures Of
reform, more Tar reaching in their future IN
.huence for relief to the people than any that
Ihavo been instituted in recent years, are those
which constitute our present policy respect
ing the control and regulation Of railway cor
; porations. The legislation OF 1885 upon this
subject, and also that respecting state super
vision Of warehouses and the inspection OF
grain. was hailed by tho people Of the state at
, large a. the dawn Of their deliverunce from
monopolistic exactious and oppression. I be.
1levc tho reason able expectat ons OF tho people
havc not boon disappointed in tho result thus
! far reached in the administration OF this new
policy. Recognizing It as tho agency through
i which their ultimate emancipation win be
worked ont, they patiently await such action
at your hands rs shall make 1t fully and COM